Retargetable graphics#EGS and other early graphics card drivers

Commodore planned to introduce retargetable graphics in future version of AmigaOS (4.0),{{cite magazine |last=Leemon|first=Sheldon|date=February 1993|title= Devices & Desires, The Future: Retargetable Graphics|magazine=Amiga World|publisher=IDG Publishing|issn=0883-2390|volume=9|number=2|pages=38}} but the company was not able to deliver such solution before its demise. Third-party graphics card manufacturers were thus forced to create their own software layers on top of AmigaOS, incompatible with each other.

Most of these early Amiga graphics card drivers shared common limitations: compatibility with current applications was maintained by opening Workbench (or also other application screens, also known as "Workbench emulation") on the graphics card—usually in 16 (under AmigaOS 2.x) or 256 colours (under AmigaOS 3.x); full graphics card features like high-colour (15- or 16-bit) and true-colour (24- or 32-bit) display could be used only by applications directly programmed for such driver software. Earliest of these solutions like Grafexa and SAGE libraries{{cite magazine |last=Whiteley|first=Gary|date=December 1992 |title=Face up to a bright future|magazine=Amiga Format Special|publisher=Future Publishing|issue=2|pages=93}} were able to display only their own applications on the graphics card without any support for "Workbench emulation". Examples of other drivers are EGS, Merlin/Domino,{{cite magazine |last=Janin|first=Lucas|date=March 1993|title=Domino|language=fr|magazine=AmigaNews|publisher=NewsEdition|issn=1164-1746|issue=55|pages=48–49}} Omnibus,{{cite magazine |last=Roman|first=Times|date=April 1993|title=Notes From The Nets, More Graphics, Goodies|magazine=Amiga News|publisher=Portable Computing International|issn=1063-8458|volume=2|number=3|pages=6}} Retina{{cite magazine |last=Nakakihara|first=Douglas J.|date=October 1993|title= Retina|magazine=Amazing Computing|publisher=PiM Publications|issn=0886-9480|volume=8|number=10|pages=14–15}} (which should be able even to display Workbench in 24 bit colour),{{cite magazine |last=Ryan|first=John|date=July 1993|title= Retina|magazine=Amiga World|publisher=IDG Publishing|issn=0883-2390|volume=9|number=7|pages=68–69}} Graffity,{{cite magazine |date=October 1993|title=En bref, BSC, Graffity|language=fr|magazine=AmigaNews|publisher=NewsEdition|issn=1164-1746|issue=61|pages=8}} Picasso, and ProBench. Of these, Picasso offered good compatibility with older applications, because most OS-compliant programs could be promoted to graphics card display,{{cite magazine |last=Atkin|first=Denny|date=January 1994|title= Picasso II|magazine=Amiga World|publisher=IDG Publishing|issn=0883-2390|volume=10|number=1|pages=16–18}} and relatively strong software support. ProBench (by ProDev) was released as a new "Workbench emulator" for the old Merlin graphics card in 1994,{{cite newsgroup | author = Ulrich Flegel | title = X-Pert is dead - Merlin alive| date = June 16, 1994 | newsgroup = comp.sys.amiga.hardware | message-id = 1994Jun16.113448@ibr.cs.tu-bs.de | url =https://groups.google.com/forum/message/raw?msg=comp.sys.amiga.hardware/fw-8qtLYAME/gz1hbBeJXKgJ| access-date = November 26, 2016 }} and version 3 (1996) introduced 16 bit colour depth and compatibility with CyberGraphX.{{Cite web|url=http://aminet.net/package/docs/misc/ProBench3-Eng|title=ProBench 3 documentation in English |format= AmigaGuide in lha archive| website=aminet.net|date=October 21, 1996|accessdate=November 26, 2016}}{{cite magazine |date=1996|title=ProBench v3.0|language=sv|magazine=Amiga Info|publisher=X-Files Media|issn=1401-4661|volume=1|number=6}}

Enhanced Graphics System (EGS) was developed by Viona Development using the Cluster language (a Modula-2 derivative) for Piccolo and Spectrum graphics boards, supporting screen depths up to 24 bits. It requires a minimum of {{nowrap|2 MB}} RAM and {{nowrap|4–5 MB}} of hard disk space.{{cite magazine |date=February 4, 1994|title=EGS FAQ|url=http://www.amigareport.com/ar205/p1-8.html |magazine=Amiga Report International Online Magazine |volume=2|issue=5|access-date=2016-11-23}} EGS was first presented with the EGS 110/24 card (GVP) at the World of Commodore/Amiga show in New York in April 1992.{{cite magazine |last=Atkin|first=Denny|date=July 1992|title=GVP Steal the show|magazine=Amiga Computing|publisher=Europress Publications|issn=0959-9630|issue=50|pages=14}} It supported a broader range of graphics cards than other drivers and was seen by some Amiga magazines as the next RTG standard for Amiga, but its compatibility with most Amiga applications was limited.{{cite magazine |last=Kennedy|first=Stevie|date=Christmas 1993|title=Bundle of joy, Piccolo graphics card |magazine=Amiga Computing|publisher=Europress Publications|issn=0959-9630|issue=68|pages=60–61}}{{cite magazine |last=Johnson|first=Dave|date=April 1994|title=EGS 28/24 Spectrum|magazine=Amiga World|publisher=IDG Publishing|issn=0883-2390|volume=10|number=4|pages=12–13}}{{cite magazine |last=Janin|first=Lucas|date=May 1995|title=Piccolo-SD64|language=fr|magazine=AmigaNews|publisher=NewsEdition|issn=1164-1746|issue=79|pages=20–21}}

{{main article|CyberGraphX}}

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CyberGraphX (pronounced "cybergraphics" and often abbreviated as "CGX"), is a retargetable graphics API for the Amiga and compatible computer systems developed by Thomas Sontowski and Frank Mariak and later adopted by Phase5 for use with their graphics cards.{{cite magazine |last=Němec|first=Luboš |date=January 1996|title=CyberVision64 & CyberGraphX (podruhé)|language=cs|magazine=Amiga Review|publisher=Atlantida Publishing|issn=1211-1465|issue=12|pages=17–19}} Many other graphics card manufacturers that offered hardware for Amiga and compatible systems also used it.

Introduced in 1995 with the CyberVision64 graphics card (Phase5), CyberGraphX was the first RTG software to allow full true-colour screens for Workbench and applications—older solutions supported only 256 colours (e.g. Picasso) or a four-colour Workbench with some 24-bit windows (Retina).{{cite magazine |last=Austin|first=Paul|date=September 1995|title=A vision of the future|magazine=Amiga Computing|publisher=IDG Media|issn=0959-9630|issue=90|pages=48–50}} CyberGraphX quickly eclipsed all older graphics card drivers and by 1995 was acclaimed as the best solution for displaying Workbench and other applications. Being available free of charge for users of supported cards, it became the de facto RTG standard for Amiga.{{cite magazine |last=Thieullet|first=Cyrille|date=October 1995|title=Comparatif des cartes graphiques, Cinq cartes sous la loupe|language=fr|magazine=AmigaNews|publisher=NewsEdition|issn=1164-1746|issue=83|pages=26–28}} CyberGraphX V4{{cite magazine |last=Veitch|first=Nick|date=January 1999 |title=CyberGraphX 4|magazine=Amiga Format |publisher=Future Publishing|issn=0957-4867|issue=119|pages=52}} was the last release for AmigaOS; MorphOS uses CyberGraphX V5.

These graphic cards are supported by CyberGraphX:

Picasso96{{cite web|url=http://aminet.net/package/driver/video/Picasso96|accessdate=2016-12-13|publisher=Aminet|last=Abt|first=Tobias|date=1999-11-17|title=Picasso96 for Amiga graphics boards}} is the RTG device driver library set used by the Picasso IV and other graphics boards. Its development was started in 1996 by Village Tronic, and it is compatible with CyberGraphX.[http://cd.textfiles.com/amigama/amigama199807/WWW/VillageTronic/p96/index.html Picasso96 rtg software] Although the first releases were ridden with bugs and stability problems,{{cite magazine |last=Němec|first=Luboš |date=March 1997|title=Picasso IV|language=cs|magazine=Amiga Review|publisher=Atlantida Publishing|issn=1211-1465|issue=26|pages=14–15}} by version 1.17 most issues with Picasso96 were corrected. Compatibility with CyberGraphX was also improved.{{cite magazine |last=Němec|first=Luboš |date=June 1997|title=Picasso IV & Picasso96, blýská se na lepší časy?|language=cs|magazine=Amiga Review|publisher=Atlantida Publishing|issn=1211-1465|issue=29|pages=9}}

Picasso96 was selected as the RTG standard for AmigaOS 4, at first released as a 68k binary in AmigaOS 4.0 pre-release,{{cite magazine |last=Zonias|first=Kymon|date=July 2004 |title=Pre-release AmigaOS 4.0|language=de|magazine=Amiga Future |publisher=APC&TCP|issue=49|pages=37}} with a full PowerPC port following later in 2004 in the next OS update.{{cite magazine|last1=Sutton|first1=Mick|last2=Williams|first2=Robert|date=Winter 2004 |title=Amiga OS 4 Update |magazine=Total Amiga|publisher=South Essex Amiga Link|issue=19|pages=18|url=http://www.totalamiga.org/pdf/totalamiga_19.pdf}} AmigaOS 4.1 Final Edition (2014) integrated RTG functions directly into graphics.library.{{Citation needed|reason=Probably mentioned in Amiga Future review - I don´t have this one at hand. I may use press-release instead...|date=November 2016}}

These graphic cards are supported by the Picasso96 system available for 68K based Amiga systems:

Picasso96 as used by AmigaOS 4 supports also Voodoo 3, Voodoo 4/5, and Radeon R100, R200, R300,{{Cite web|url=http://www.acube-systems.biz/compatibility/compatibility_41.php|title=AmigaOS 4.1 Hardware Compatibility List|publisher=Acube Systems|date=2012-11-25|accessdate=2014-05-08}} R520 (X1000 series), R700 (HD 4000 series), HD 5000 (Evergreen) series, HD 6000 (Northern Islands) series, and HD 7000 (Southern Islands) series.{{cite press release |author= |title=RadeonHD Version 1.0 |url=http://www.a-eon.com/News_Release_RadeonHD_v1.pdf |location=Cardiff |publisher=A-EON Technology |date=2014-03-27 |access-date=2016-09-03}} The RadeonHD AmigaOS 4 driver is created and maintained by Hans de Ruiter.{{cite web | title = RadeonHD Driver | url = http://wiki.amiga.org/index.php?title=RadeonHD | accessdate = 2017-03-26}} Ongoing development of the driver for the AmigaOS platform being exclusively funded and owned by A-EON Technology Ltd.

In 2017, rights on the Picasso96 system for classic 68K Amiga Systems were bought by Individual Computers (iComp).{{cite press release |author= |title=Individual Computers confirms ownership of Picasso96 software |url=https://www.amiga-news.de/en/news/AN-2018-12-00051-EN.html |location= |publisher=Individual Computers |agency=amiga-news.de |date=2018-12-23 |access-date=2021-10-30}} iComp added features such as screen dragging in version 3.0.0{{cite web |url=https://www.amiga-news.de/de/news/AN-2020-10-00051-EN.html|title=Event: Video and reports of AmiWest 2020 (update)|publisher=Amiga-News.de|date=2020-10-25|access-date=2022-08-06}} and multi-monitor support in version 3.1.0 (Amiga OCS/ECS/AGA screen and RTG screen active at the same time).{{cite web |url=https://www.amiga-news.de/en/news/AN-2021-07-00021-EN.html|title=RTG-Driver: P96 v3.1.0|publisher=Amiga-News.de|date=2021-07-09|access-date=2021-10-30}}

The higher level API was created by Steffen Haeuser for developing 2D and 3D games requiring chunky graphics. RTG Master supports both graphics cards (with CyberGraphX, Picasso II, Picasso96 or EGS compatible drivers) and the Amiga chipset (ECS or AGA). An example of game using RTG Master is Genetic Species.{{cite magazine |last=Němec|first=Luboš |date=June 1997|title=RTGMaster Library|language=cs|magazine=Amiga Review|publisher=Atlantida Publishing|issn=1211-1465|issue=29|pages=28–29}}{{Cite web | url=http://aminet.net/search?query=Genetic+Species&sort=date | title=Aminet - Search }}

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